Device for threading shipping tags



sept. .14 192e. 1,59%?46 R. J. CLANTON DEVICE FOR THREADING SHIPPING TAGS.

Filed Jan. 25,. 1926 ATTQRNEY Patented Sept. 14, 1926.

UHTED STAT,

RALEIGH J. CLAN'IGN, GF DALLAS, TEXAS.

DEVICE FOR THREADING SHIPPING TAGS.

Application filed January 25, 1926.

This invention is a device for a'li'ixing the usual wire fastenings to shipping` tags and the like, the primary objectbeing' to provide means for eliminating the necessity of taching' these fasteners by hand and to so form the device that it may be employed in conjunction with wire cutting ancltwisting means to automatically perform the fastener a'lixing operation.

Another object is to provide in a device of this character, a tap; holder rigidly mounting' a guiding' means to which the fastener forming` element is directed from a spool through ,grommets carried by the carrier. such guiding' means formino; a loop encircling a portion of the tag` body. l

.Gther objects of the invention will bein part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter. j

In' the accompanying drawings forminga part of VJthis application i Fig-ure 1 is a side elevation with parte shown in section, the path of travel of the fastener forming element from the feed rollers being shown.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the tag; receiving' pocket and fastener `guiding` means.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view the front end port-ion ofV the pocket and guiding means,

Figure 4 is a view taken substantially on the line 1 -4 of Figure 8,

Fig-ure 5 is a. vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, and l Figure 6 is a plan view of a tap; to which a astener has been applied by my device, the extended portions of the wire being,` in position to be twisted together.

The herein described device may be eniployed in conjunction with any preferred standard type of wire cutting and twisting,l mechanisms, so that its function may be automatically performed. I have for the sake of clarity confined my illustrations to the tap; holding' and fastener guiding' means per se.

Having particular reference to the accour panying,` drawings in which similar characters of reference designate similar parts, the numeral 8 has reference to the main body which is preferably, although not necessarily, in the form of a relatively longl flat member S having' a horizontal furcation forming upper and lower arms 9 and 10 and Serial No. 83,510.

incidentally a tag receiving pocket 11 having flat upper and lower faces so spaced as to readily accommodate any standard sized tag. It will be noted that the tag receiving pocket 11 is open at the outer end and at both side edges,jthough obviously one of these side edges could readily be closed.

Formed in the outer end portions of these arms 9 and 10 are substantially vertically aligned longitudinal slots 19 and 13, these slots, as is clearly shown in Figure 4l, opening' through the outerends of the arms 9 and 10 for reasons hereinafter described.

rllhe device is to be used in the afiiXinp; of fasteners to tags such as illustrated in Fie ure G, and in which 'a pair of spaced groin mets is carried by the tag, the lengths of the slots 12 and 13 beingslightly `greater than the distance between the grommet carrying end of the tac; and the 4arommet or eyelet rei mote from this end. This point is clearly shown in Figure 1. As above stated, the slots 12 and 13 are not truly vertically aligned but diverge toward'the free end of the the arms 9 and 10 so that the fast-ener forming' element which is drawn from a spool (not shown) may be directed in aV spi 'al course for threading through the ,Qroinmet or eyelet 14: of the tag` 15in order that the fastener forming' element which in this instance is in the form of the usual wire 16, may be passed through the eyelet or erommet 14 to encircle portions of the tap; body.

The guiding means for directing the fastening' means through the grommets or eyelets 14 consist of the formation of a pair of outwardly directed arcuate bars 17 which are preferably integrally formed with the upper and lower arms 9 and 10 and are spaced inwardly a relatively short distance from the outer'ends of the. upper and lower slots 12 and 13. The inner face of each yof these bars 17 is formed with a channel or way 18, these ways being, so related that the wire 16 in passing` through them will assume a substantially spiral formation `permitting' the fastening element to freely pass through the grommet 14 adjacent the edge of the tag, in both directionsfor obvious reasons. An upwardly outwardly curved deflecting linger 19 is carried by the upper arm 9 at the point yof juncture of the arcuate bar 17 and the outer end portion of said arm. This arm or inOer 19 is adapted t0 engage the extremity of the fastener forming element at a predetermined period of the attaching or aflixing operation.

In the operation of this device, wire or the like is fed fromV a spool or coil (not shown) between feed rollers 2O and through the front end portion of the lower slot 13, at which point it enters the way or channel 18 of the upper arcuate bar 17 and continues its spiral course, entering the way 18 in the lower arcuate bar 17 and passing for a second time through the eyelet 14 adj aeentthe edge of the tag and into contact with the lower curved face of the deflecting finger 19. At this stage, the wire 16 may be cut at a point between the feed roller 2O and the tag holding or receiving pocket, after which the two extensions 21 may be gripped and pulled longitudinally and outwardly from the ends of the arms with the result that the wire is looped around the portion of the tag body lying between the two grommets or eyelets 111. With completion of this operation the extensions 21 may be twisted at the points adjacent the edge of the tag body after which the tag fastener affixing operation is complete.

Manifestly, the construction shown is capable of considerable. modification, and such modification as is within the scope of my claims, I consider within the spirit of my invention.

I'claim2- A 1. In a device for allixing a. wire or the like fastener to al tag having an eyelet; the combination of a tag receiving pocket having openings in its walls for alignment with the eyelet, and means associated with the pockets and openings for directing a fastener forming element through the eyelet and to form extensions of the fastener beyond the tag to be twisted together and secured to an extraneous member.

2. In a device for aifixing a wire or the like fastener to a tag having an eyelet; the combination of a tag receiving pocket having openings in its walls adjacent the eyelet, and arcuate guides associated with the pocket and openings to loop a. fastening element through the eyelet and form extensions of the fastener beyond the tag to be twisted together and secured to an extraneous member. Y

3. In a device for attaching wire or the aligned slots opening through one end, and

arcuate guides arranged outwardly of the slots and aligned therewith to direct the fastener forming element in a substantially circular path and through the tag eyelets.

4. In a device of the character described, a pair of spaced parallel arms forming a tag receiving poel-let therebetween and having a pair ef substantially aligned longitudinally extending slots opening through one end, and aren bars arranged outwardly of the slots and aligned there vith, said bars having ways in their inner faces to guide a fastener forming element in a substantially spiral path for threading through eyelets in a tag.

In a device of the character described, a pair of spaced parallel arms forming a tag receiving pocket and having a pair of substantially aligned longitudinally extending slots opening through o-ne end, and outwardly curve-d guide ways aligned with the slots to direct a fastener forming element in a substantially spiral path for threading through the eyelet of a tag.

6. A structure as specified in claim 5, said guide ways being spaced inwardly from the outer ends of the slots and fastener defiecting means for directing a free end of the fastener radially from the guide ways.

T. In a device of the character described,

a pair of arms spaced apart to ferm a. tag

receiving pocket having an open end, and also having a. pair 'of longitudinally extending slots opening through said ends, a pair of arcuate guide ways rigidly carried by the arms and aligned with said slots, one end |of each guide way being spaced inwardly from the open end of said pockets, and a curved deflecting linger partially overlying the other end of one slot.

8. In a device of the character described, a horizontally disposed card receiving pocket having an open end, a pair of substantially vertically aligne-d slots opening to said end 'and guide means for directing a fastener forming element across said pocket and through the eyelets in a tag.

In testimony whereof VI affix my signature.

RALEIGH J. GLANTON. 

